Update: Sleep + Headaches

I did a little more research after yesterday's post. I don't know why I haven't looked harder into this before...

Many times, waking up with headaches has been connected with sleep apnea (and other sleep disorders). This is scary to me.

I've been told a few times I should get a sleep study done, and that I snore. Loudly.

It's something I should bet done, but it scares me a little. Scary to be watched while I sleep, and scary to possibly get stuck with one of those scary masks I'd have to wear to bed.

That's a lot of scary.

A couple different articles I found:

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/03/get-some-sleep-daily-headaches-how-are-you-sleeping/

http://www.headache-help.org/sleep-disorders-and-headache

Sleep + Headaches

I go through random bouts of insomnia every once in a while. They don't generally last very long, and aren't too severe.

But when I'm trying to get up at a normal time, it makes the next morning suck and not suck at the same time. I'm super fatigued (I'm like dizzy-fatigued today), but... NO HEADACHES EITHER!!! Sort of.

I've noticed that when I get less sleep at night (max 7 hours), I'm less prone to waking up with a headache, or less get a less severe one. If I sleep much more than 7 hours though, I wake up with a pounding headache (lately, anyway).

I was up til about 2:00 a.m. last night, which is pretty late for me. I forced myself to get up at 8:00 to see the boyfriend out the door, and really didn't notice any kind of headache at all. Much of the time, I'm ok off 6 hours for a day or two, but not today. I passed back out for another hour or so after he left - head pounding ensued.

And all the websites say 8 hours is what's necessary, and that you're less likely to get headaches with that amount of sleep. But I can't find anything specifically about no headaches on less sleep...

So the conundrum is: Do I start maxing at 7 hours a night at the benefit of less morning headaches, but perhaps bigger risk of daytime, fatigue-triggered migraines in the long run? Or, do I just continue with more sleep and morning headaches? Hmm...

Constant Fatigue

While I realize that a constant feeling of fatigue is often a symptom of (guys close your eyes) PMS, but uggggghhhhh. It is sooo irritating. My brain is in a constant fog and I just don't function the way I should. Point in case: I just got distracted by the TV for 10 minutes halfway through the last sentence... and again just now.

Sometimes, you can't really seem to do much about the fatigue. No time for a nap, caffeine has done all it can do (or made things worse), what's left?

After doing a little research, I think I've come up with a list of fool-proof fatigue-fighters that can be tried anytime of day:

• Hydrate - drink water regularly throughout the day
• Do stretches and take walks every few hours to air out your brain
• Eat several small meals throughout the day (rather than three large ones) to avoid major lull periods in between meals
• Snack on foods like fruit, yogurt, whole-wheat bagels with cheese or peanut butter, and eggs to get an energy boost
• 20 minute power naps (these work magical wonders)
• Find something to laugh at for a few minutes - it'll perk you up and make you pay attention to something :)
• If you must have caffeine, choose green tea over coffee or pop. It has a little caffeine, but also lots of antioxidants 
• Pull on your hair. Gently. This can encourage a little more blood flow into your skull and brain

And here's a fun fact (but not really): If you're having issues with fatigue for an extended period of time, get checked for a UTI. In some cases, fatigue can be the only sign of an urinary tract infection.

So, that's my list, but what I have I missed? What do you do to fight that midday fatigue?